On 18 Apr 2004, Xina wrote:
> As all of you have noted, having a child can bring about quite the
> identity crisis. Oh, and child care- Oi! Right now I'm figuring
> maternity leave and birthing cl*****, so any help there would be
> muchly appreciated.
Take as much maternity leave as you possibly can. I've seen
co-workers in the past who came back after 6 weeks and could barely
cope. I went back at 3 months and by then taking care of a baby
wasn't quite as stressful anymore, so it was easier to cope with work.
A suggestion that I ran across that worked well for me was to go back
part time for the first two weeks, and to go back to work mid-week,
rather than on a Monday. Makes the transition a bit easier.
If you can, try to get some family and friends to stay with you after
the birth, to take care of you. You'll have your hands full taking
care of an infant. You need someone to take care of you.
I actually never took any birthing cl*****. I did a lot of reading,
and read a lot of birth stories (good and bad). I did take prenatal
yoga. In some ways, I think prenatal yoga was better than any
childbirth class at teaching effective breathing and focusing
techniques. As with anything, YMMV.
--
kirsti
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